Incident Overview
On September 18, 2012, at approximately 1230 EDT, US Airways Flight 707, an Airbus A330 (registration N273AY) en route from Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) to Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT), experienced severe turbulence during its descent into CLT. The encounter resulted in serious injury to one flight attendant and minor injuries to two others.
Sequence of Events
According to the operator, while descending into Charlotte, the flight crew received an ACARS message from the company dispatcher handling the flight. The dispatcher indicated that a SIGMET had been issued for the North Carolina area, with strong winds and embedded thunderstorms. The International Relief Officer (IRO) contacted the flight attendants to advise them that the aircraft would be entering an area of possible turbulence in approximately 15 minutes. An announcement was also made to passengers over the public address system, advising them to remain seated and fasten their seat belts. The seat belt sign was illuminated.
The aircraft was descending through approximately 16,000 feet when it entered the clouds and encountered moderate turbulence.
Cabin Preparation and Injuries
In the cabin, flight attendants had begun preparing for arrival after receiving the turbulence advisory from the IRO. Several flight attendants were still out of their seats, collecting service items and securing the galley, when the turbulence occurred. The "C" flight attendant was securing the aft galley during the encounter. She was lifted into the air, fell back down onto the cabin floor, and landed on her back. The "D" and "G" flight attendants also sustained minor injuries.
Post-Encounter Response
After the turbulence encounter, the flight crew contacted the flight attendants and were notified of the injuries. The crew arranged for paramedics to meet the flight and remove the injured flight attendants.
Injury Details
The "C" flight attendant received a fracture to the distal tibia at the medial and lateral malleoli.